Bucks

NBA Rumors: JJ Redick to Pacers, Bucks, Knicks or Bulls?

Rewind the clock a few years and no one would guess that JJ Redick’s name would be one of the biggest commodities on the trade market heading into deadline day.

Here we are, winter turning into spring of 2013 and sure enough, the former Duke standout turned Orlando Magic sharp shooter is widely considered to be one of the most coveted names on the market. From Chicago and Indiana to New York and Milwaukee, Redick is attracting interest from around the league despite his desire to remain in Orlando.

The Magic aren’t actively seeking a trade for Redick, but they have stated that they are willing to listen to offers and will move if they encounter a situation that makes their team better in the long run. The rebuilding process for Orlando can’t fully take place until they bring in some fresh young faces and let some contracts expire, but if a trade allowed them to acquire something like that, naturally GM Rob Hennigan is going to move.

It’s expected that they will be quiet before the deadline and probably won’t make a move at all. The team has declared that center Nikola Vucevic is not available in any sort of deal and certainly won’t part with the few young players they have. It’s all down to Redick if the Magic are to move anyone and the latest has New York getting in on the talks.

The rumors surround the possibility of the Knicks trading young shooting guard Iman Shumpert who became an integral part of the team last season before tearing his ACL and requiring a major surgery and a long rehab. Now, the Knicks are considering parting ways with him as he is replaceable in their current lineup that is designed to win now and doesn’t help them much offensively where they need it.

Redick would no doubt help New York score, but whether or not he wants to move to the Big Apple is another matter. After living there with his wife last summer, Redick has been quoted as saying that he “got it (living in New York) out of his system.” He has repeatedly said he wants to stay in Orlando, so the Magic seem to hold the cards for any deal.

The rumored deal for Shumpert doesn’t work out as a straight swap due to salaries, so New York would have to get another team involved if they don’t plan on giving up one of their major pieces. Given that they are second in the Eastern Conference and appear to have the best chance of beating Miami of any team in the East, that isn’t likely going to happen.

The Knicks are notoriously bad for messing up their draft picks until recently, so giving away a first rounder is definitely an option for them, especially considering their likely to make a run deep into the postseason and not be able to draft until late in the first round anyways. But how willing the Magic are to depart with Redick, a player they know they can resign, just to bring in a young guy or two and a later first rounder is questionable.

This deal really favors the Knicks and is just like most other deals that the Magic have been offered thus far for Redick. Some reports on Twitter have Denver getting involved, but what they would be sending the other way is not mentioned. If the Nuggets throw their name into Redick mix, forget the Knicks because unless New York can pull together a complex three team deal, they just don’t have the pieces to acquire Redick.

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